Adventurers
- Harlin Winklevos (Fighter 3)
- Mandras (Thief 5)
- Rafin Falskax (Cleric 1)
Deciding the risk of an angry werewolf wasn’t worth the effort of extracting information, the party executed it and returned to Ximes. They spread out and looked for different potential sources of information about the missing people. Mandras was still new to this thievery business, and he and Rafin wandered the back streets failing to find a disreputable guild. Harlin was at least able to find a tavern to eavesdrop in, but heard no discussions of disappearances, just a boisterous crowd of adventurers celebrating a lucrative expedition to the mountain of barrows across the river.
Deciding that they too wanted in on that action and that the missing people could wait a little longer, the party hired themselves a guide, Larreagaburu, who lead them up this perilous mount. Mandras realised with a sinking feeling just where they were going, and resolved not to descend down any three-legged pulley contraption. He nearly permanently fulfilled this resolution by being pounced on by an enormous python; the party had gambled upon it being undisturbed by the sound of a sledgehammer pounding away at a stone slab covering a barrow entrance. Fortunately Rafin was on hand with the healing stick once the python had been gutted (revealing a previous dinner to have been a cleric, clutching a scroll case).
The adventurers explored the barrow’s interior but found nothing to interest them. Fighting off two ghastly forms (losing another mercenary in the process) they moved on the next barrow; more smashed stone later saw them descending into a water-logged chamber with a swollen door to one side. The sledgehammer made short work of it, and they entered with Harlin’s spear tapping the way ahead. It sank into the water and, as the rest of the party examined an urn across the room, the fighter ducked his waterbreathing helm-ed head beneath the surface trying to explore the extent of this hole in the ground.
No matter how far he prodded and felt resistance, the resistance always seemed to give way slightly. Mandras donned a a ring which turned him into a octopus, and he floated down to investigate. He rose again very quickly as the floor of the pit lurched up to attack him. Startled, the adventurers waited for the globulous mass to rise up to the surface before Harlin stabbed at it. The spear came away appearing to sizzle slightly, despite its magical nature, and the fighter stowed it away. Everyone retreated, dousing the creature in flaming oil once they were a safe distance away. This seemed to have no effect, and they headed back up to the surface as the oozing thing very slowly gave chase.
